Look Deeper, Life’s Constraints, and The Tightrope of Great Art
Wednesday Wisdoms for August 21, 2024
Welcome to Wednesday Wisdom, our 3x3 Newsletter where I distill worldly advice for better living with 3 quotes, 3 observations, and 3 questions.
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Look Deeper
🤨 Quote
“The way loaves of bread split open, the ridges are just byproducts of the baking, and yet pleasing, somehow: they rouse our appetite without our knowing why.”
Marcus Aurelius
Source: Meditations
Observation 🧐
A natural part of life is attempting to put things into boxes in an effort to better understand them.
We like to think of artists as artists, philosophers as philosophers, and so on, but Marcus Aurelius reminds us that to be a philosopher or an artist, one needs not to be labeled as such but rather to be trained in the art of living.
From an early age, Marcus was trained not only in philosophy but also in art, rhetoric, and countless other specialties. This provided him a unique lens of the world, one where he was able to point out nuances that many would skip over.
But it is in this small attention to detail that we better learn life, that we can perfect our approach to the world. Being an artist or a philosopher is built first and foremost on where we put our attention.
It is from this that we then begin to view the world in ways unique only to ourselves.
🤔 Question
Think about one person you look up to who seems to see the world differently. What do you think helps drive this different vision? How can you learn from this?
Life’s Constraints
🤨 Quote
“Just as the constraints of an art form can bring out the artist's creativity, the constraints of institutionalized roles can make the project of self-realization more manageable.”
Tamler Sommers
Source: Why Honor Matters
Observation 🧐
Creativity is often thought of as pure freedom. But it is in fact more akin to structured exploration than it is a free-for-all.
An artist finds their way partly because of the constraints placed on the task they are expected to complete.
In the film industry, for example, there are constant constraints that are continuously affecting the final product of a film—actor’s schedules, story lengths, the film’s MPA rating, budget, locations, release schedule—the list goes on.
And this isn’t specific to the film industry, every form of art requires a level of creativity that manages to these constantly changing external pressures.
Likewise, we grow ourselves through constantly being put in situations that test us and force us to react, adjust, and re-align. Our emotions are tested with the events of life and who we interact with, our muscles are tested through strenuous activity, our hearts are tested each time we fall in love.
We are creatures of change and have been since the dawn of time, always learning to adjust, always finding ways to make things work.
We are built to use our brains to maximize solutions that benefit our existence.
🤔 Question
Think about all the times you’ve had to pivot because of external pressures. These are times of creativity, of needing to solution in the moment. How can this understanding of flexibility top of mind for future use?
Beneath the paywall this week we explore the wisdom of Albert Camus. Click below to support and get access.